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T0 ALL WHOM4 IT MAY CONERN:

'Be it known that I,'WILLI`AM Gr. A. BONWILL, of Dover, in the county of Kent, and State of Delaware,

`have* invented a new and improved Mode of Fastening o1- Holding Shoe-Strings; and I do hereby declare 'that 'the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

and to the.letters of referencethereon marked, making part of'this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a front view ofY a shoe, the lacing of which is secured with my improved fastening.

Figure 2 is a side view of my shoe-tie, and illustrates the manner of fastening the lacing. i 'A Figures 3 and-4 are modifications of my invention. A,

Figures and 6 are interior and exterior views of the hooksthrough which' the lacing passes.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several igures.

To enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to understand its operation, I will proceed to describe it, as follows: A l I l in tig. 2, is a ring securely fastened in any suitable manner to the leather or other material of which the shoe is composed. B is a side section of the material composing the upper part of the shoe. It is pierced by the hole I, in which an eyelet can he inserted,.o`r any other suitable means he employed, to prevent undue enlargement by constant '.use. S is the string Vor shoe-tie, with vwhich the shoe, having first been laced, (sec fig. 1,) the fend thereof is then passed up through the hole I from theinside of the shoe; and then, being passed i through the ring A, it is returned through the hole or cyelet I, and, the string being drawn, causes the ring'A to close over the aperture or eyelet I, (see g. 1,) and thus securely fastcns the shoe-string. .The ring A should be fastened in such a position as to enable `it to cpo-operate with the highest eyelet or aperture made in the fuppers of the sh'oe to receive theI lacing. Rings can also be placed at points along the row of eyelets, and

thus enable the lacing to be made tight or loose at intervals, to suit the pleasure of the wearer. Fig. 3 illus-` trates a modification of my invention, showing its adaptation and application to shoes where hooks are used, instead of eyelets, to effect the lacing". In fig. 3 I is ahook, which, in its operation, is equivalent to the eyelet Ilin figs. 1 and 2. A is a hook, which operates in lieu of ring A in figs. 1 and 2.` R indicates rivets, on which the hoo-ks A and I have suicient movement to enable them to be drawn together. S is the string or lacing, which, having first been passed upwards through the hooks I and A, is thenjreturned to and through the hook I, 'and is then secured `by being tightly drawn. Fig. 4 illustrates a modification of my invention, wherein the two adjustable rings A A are secured to the upper B by the staple G, or anyother Suitable means. The string' Slafter having performed its oce of lacing the shoe) is then passed upward and through the two rings A A, after which, being passed outside the upper ring, it'is carried downward to the lower ring, and, 4being rep-assed through the inside of which and drawn, it operates to closepthe rings together Ain such manner that the lacing between them is securelyfastened.

In my'invention and its several modications we have a shoe-tie complete without the use of bow-knots, and which will not come undone or work loose. Shorter strings can be used than in the old method, accompanied with less wear and tear of the same. The lacing can be accomplished by using only one end, making it one of the most useful,econon1ical, and pleasant inventions of the age, particularly so with young'children, who are constantly untying and unlacing their shoes, whereasl in this plan the very pulling at it keeps it tied. This invention is manifestly applicable to ladies corsets and dresses, carriage-cnrtains, and other purposes..-

Having thus described my invention, what I wish to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combined fastening A I, arranged to operate substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

WM. G. A. BONWILL.

Witnesses:

J. A. Srnvnrsos, D.. F. BUnToN. 

